McNabb: I would have gone to Oakland

Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb refuted stories with unnamed sources which reported he would retire rather than play for the Raiders.

Talking with host Ryen Rusillo on the Scott VanPelt Show (ESPN Radio), McNabb was asked what he would have done had he been traded to the Raiders.

“I would have been at the workouts and working out with the team, throwing and trying to get the timing down with the corps of receivers and running backs they have and communicated with the offensive line to get ready for minicamp,” McNabb said.

When Rusillo asked about the threat to retire, McNabb at first laughed out loud.

“Retirement?,” he said.

McNabb went on to elaborate.

“This is the problem with some of these so-called key analysts and these smart guys out there who go by `sources.’ So many people listen to different sources `close to’ the individual, but never the individual, saying that I would have not showed up in Oakland, I would have been upset . . . hey, with my name always being in the media all the time because of trade talk, I’m just happy that it’s over. I don’t mind being on ESPN if it’s something positive for my play, not for where I’m going to land next. A lot of it was blown way out of proportion.”

Of course, having McNabb refuse to play for the Raiders is a much more interesting story than what is the more likely reality _ that Oakland simply is not getting older as a team but working at getting younger, and McNabb was never an option because of that philosophy.

Think about it.

Jeff Garcia and Lorenzo Neal never made it out of training camp last year. Greg Ellis was waived this offseason. Justin Fargas, a 30-year-old back in a 35-year-old body is gone. There was no effort made to talk with the likes of LaDainian Tomlinson and Terrell Owens, the types of Hall of Fame candidates the Raiders have looked to in years past.

The club has not come to a longterm deal with defensive end Richard Seymour, perhaps waiting to see if he’s started on the downside of his career but franchising him to hedge their bets.

If the Raiders really wanted McNabb, they would have made a serious offer and landed him. I’m not sure I buy the story that the magnanimous Eagles “did the right thing” by trading him to the Redskins even though McNabb remained in the division.

And last time I checked, although the Redskins direction is more promising with Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen running things instead of Daniel Snyder, they were 4-12 last year. One game worse than the team that McNabb supposedly wouldn’t consider.

The reason the Eagles made the trade is because they’re comfortable with seeing McNabb twice a year. And because the Raiders are floated more often as a trade possibility than any other team because they never deny it, and occasionally are punching bags because of it.

You’d think this would close the book on the McNabb-to-Raiders story, but don’t count on it. It will be commonly accepted that McNabb refused to come to Oakland, regardless of what he or anyone else says.

It’s just one of those things the Raiders will have to endure until they change the storyline and start winning.

(Was out all morning taping a draft special for Comcast . . . thanks to the reader who told me about the interview).

Northwestern quarterback Mike Kafka worked out for the Raiders. That is at least the third QB the Raiders have worked out.

Maybe there might be something to this Clausen to Oakland stuff?

M Lonetree

Dakota,

Jim Brown also said that he put on the uni ’cause he thought about teaching RBs like Franco Harris a lesson. Said he was tired of seeing 235 lb RBs running untouched out of bounds and he wanted to show those RBs the way a real man would run the ball.

SinceFrankYouellField Says:
April 9th, 2010 at 10:29 am
Makes you wonder how someone like JR might have applied himself had he been given a rookie base with incentives….instead of, “Here’s a gazillion bucks, kid. Hey, where’d he go????!!!!”
++++++

Absolutely. We might have gotten one good year out of the kid….then he would have gotten that big contract in year 4 or 5 and then started to slack off lol.

I think the Browns will draft Clausen, and what Mike H said was just draft BS. Jake us not the answer to their problems. They also could draft Dez B or Hayden.

M Lonetree

Rockstar,

perfect arithmetic.

Dakota,

a story was told last night of a game when Jim Brown was pounding TDs on the Eagles. Chuck Bednarik of Philly was jabbering on the whole game at Brown – “You stink. You stink. You stink.” So on one goal line play Jim Brown destroys Bednarik on his way into the end zone a la Bo and Bosworth and while Chuck is still laying on the ground as road kill Jim asks him “How do I smell now?

RaiderRockstar

Mo Williams has 35 points on the night and with the game on the line Mike Brown puts the game winner in the hands of Anderson Varejao ???

Cavs probably will not make it to the finals anyhow….I am more concerned with the Magic having the same record as the Lakers, they are the most likely finals matchup for the Lakers and they are both 55-23 right now.

inonewordraider

of all the NBAers to go to the league straight from High School only Kobe and Al Harringtons games/yr hasn’t drastically dropped off(see Garnett, TMAC, Chandler etc) and Al rode the pine for years. Kobe doesn’t have much time left

Since you have been around since the establishment of football, I have to ask your opinion on this subject; if Bo Jackson had played football full time and had avoided his injury, do you think there would be at least a debate as to Bo being the best RB of all time?